Doctor banned for prescribing drug as gay ‘cure’

Homosexuality still isn’t a “disease” that people can “cure,” but that doesn’t stop some people from throwing drugs at the “problem.”

In a wild case in Australia, a teen was prescribed Cyprostat, a “chemical castration” drug that hampers testosterone, by a doctor affiliated with the Exclusive Brethren Christian sect. The doctor, Mark Craddock, was recently banned from practicing medicine over the incident.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, an official letter to the medical board stated the teen was attending the church in 2008 when he came out. A church leader told him “there’s medication you can go on” and referred him to church member Craddock. The doctor gave him a prescription and five refills without doing a physical examination, explaining the side effects of the drug, or referring the teen to psychological treatment.

The victim, Craig Hoyle, is now a blogger for GayNZ.com and told the site he was happy about the ruling, calling it “a victory both for me and other people who have been mistreated.”

Hoyle said he hasn’t had any long-term side effects from the drug treatment. He said he felt it was necessary to speak out for others who might feel trapped by church or family, “to give those people a voice.”